A friend had told me about The Revenant years ago, but I really wasnít
interested in seeing it. I had seen previews and new it was based on the
semi-biographical novel about frontiersmanHugh Glass, but the film never really
grabbed me. I think Leonardo DiCaprio is a good actor, but not good enough to
make me pay for the price of a movie ticket. And then, last month, I got
sickÖcouldnít move from the bedÖand found myself staring at this movie I never
had interest in seeing.

The
Revenant takes place in the unorganized territory near the Missouri River in
1823. Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is acting as a guide for Major Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) and his
fur-trappers. Unfortunately, while Hugh and
his half-Pawnee son, Hawk (Forrest Goodluck), are
hunting, the party is attacked
by an Arikara Indian war party. They lose quite a few people and are forced to
hide the numerous pelts they have captured in an effort to move faster along the
terrain, gaining distance from the war party they have just escaped.

Shortly
afterwards, Glass is mauled by a grizzly bear, the attack leaving him near
death. Trapper John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) argues that they should finish the
job started by the bear, believing it to be a mercy killing. That way, they can
move on, get to Fort Kiowa and come back for their pelts with
Army
reinforcements. Though he agrees, Henry is unable to pull the trigger and
instead offers up a reward for those willing to stay with Glass until they can
get help. Hawk and his friend Jim Bridger (Will Poulter) agree to stay, as does
Fitzgerald, begrudgingly hoping to recoup the loss of the pelts he was forced to
abandon.

As Glass
seems to take a turn for the worst, Fitzgerald weighs his options. He decides
to kill Glass when the others are away from camp. Unfortunately, he is
discovered by Hawk who attempts to prevent Glass from killing his father. In
the end, Fitzgerald kills hawk and leaves Glass for dead, convincing Bridger
that the Arikara are on their trail. When the two arrive at Fort Kiowa,
Fitzgerald tells Henry that Glass died and Hawk disappeared.

Meanwhile, Glass, having witnessed his sonís murder, uses his anger and anguish
to spur himself into action. Revenge is a strong motivator, but can it help him
cross the frozen tundra of a winter wilderness, avoid the Arikara war party
still hunting for their Chiefís kidnapped daughter, while still suffering the
injuries and infection brought on by the initial attack of the grizzly? Only
time will tell.

As Glass
travels through the wilderness, fever dreams allow us to glimpse his past with
his son and his motivation to survive so he can avenge him. We witness the
murder of a Pawnee village, the woman he loved (Grace Dove) and the words he
whispered to his young son, willing him to survive a disease. These flashback
moments are incredibly touching. Too bad they never actually took place. The
people who made this film took incredible license with the tale of Hugh Glass
and history doesnít quite agree with the idea of Glass having a Pawnee wife or
son. History does agree with this manís journey and survival having to do with
revenge. However, that revenge was allegedly over a stolen gun.

That being
said, there is some incredible acting here. Leonardo DiCaprio doesnít do much
acting in the form of dialogue, but his role is intense, nonetheless. Tom Hardy
was incredibly arrogant and hateful as John Fitzgerald. You actually will find
yourself rooting for this manís demise, especially after the numerous
prejudicial and obnoxious comments he makes throughout the film. Hardy has been
amazing in every film Iíve seen him in, but this role makes you hate him and
that says a lot about his acting.

The
cinematography is terrific and the beauty of the
landscapes in the film is
incredibly. If there were no story and no volume on this film, I could simply
watch the amazing wilderness scenes to be found here. And of course, there is
that grizzly attack scene that everyone has been talking about. I knew it was
supposed to be gory, but wow! Thatís all I can say about it. When you see the
initial attack, you will be amazed at the special effects needed to make this
look real, but after the second and third attack, youíll be like, ďWoah! How
does this guy survive this thing!Ē forgetting that the bear and human in the
scene arenít real.

The
storyline of The Revenant had me shaking my head. I liked the idea that
this man would do just about anything he had to while on his death bed to avenge
his child. The idea was conceptually awe-inspiring. Too bad it was less than
probable and, in the end, not real. However, this guy really did survive a bear
attack that left him near-dead, so I guess it was possible. In the end, I had
to take this film at face value and realized that I found it entertaining,
though not the best film I had ever seen. I still would recommend it to fans of
the old western/adventure films. Just forget that this was supposed to be based
on a biography and enjoy the story.